Stokesia laevis Alba

Stokesia laevis 'Alba' or White Stokesia is a variety of Chinese Aster with a wide white flowers from July to October! It is a short perennial with spreading evergreen, elliptical to lanceolate, dark green leaves. Its flowers are similar to scabious have a wild charm suitable for natural-looking borders and perennial beds or English cottage gardens. It is a very hardy perennial that likes warm and sunny situations and tolerates drought well. It should be planted in non-chalky, light, well-drained soil in the sun.

Stokesia laevis belongs to the asteraceae family. it is native to China and has been naturalised for a long time in the southeast of the United States. In nature, it grows in wet places, pine forests, savannas, and ditches. It can withstand temperatures down to -25°C (-13°F). The 'Alba' cultivar is a herbaceous perennial that forms a basal rosette of elliptical to lanceolate, 20 cm (8in) long leaves which are slightly spiny at the base, with a lighter central vein. The plant grows quite slowly and is mature in three years, forming a spreading tuft 40 to 45 cm (16 to 18in) in all directions. The erect stems bear smaller, dark and vivid green leaves, forming a complementary contrast with the soft flowers. The stems develop many decorative pink flower buds at their tips from summer to autumn, which open into 10 cm (4in) diameter, fluffy heads resembling carnations. The fringed ligules are white and arranged around a central feathery disk of the same colour. The nectar-rich flowers attract many butterflies.

Stokesia lauvis is a fantastic ornamental plant with the pure and harmonious look of wildflowers. Perfectly hardy and not very demanding of soil quality, it is happy in a sunny corner of the garden. It looks wonderful planted in groups with damask nigellas and cosmos, in front of summer or autumn aster beds with purple rudbeckias, shrubby salvias, daylilies, and gauras. You can also make lovely drought-tolerant containers and charming bouquets with Stokesia laevis 'Alba'.